Gauteng: worst vehicle crime hotspot, followed by KZN

According to Tracker’s latest vehicle crime index which covers data between January and June this year, KwaZulu-Natal is second only to Gauteng for this type of crime.

KZN had 17% of the incidents after Gauteng, which accounts for 61% — up from 58% recorded for the latter half of 2021.

In KZN, the 58% hijacking to 42% theft ratio reflects a recent increase in hijacking cases. Between January and June, Tracker recovered 3 110 vehicles, made 273 arrests and recovered 19 firearms.

Tracker’s chief operations officer, Duma Ngcobo, said vehicle theft was up by seven percent nationally by volume and hijackings were up by four percent over the previous review period.

We believe the increase in incident volume can, in part, be attributed to a return to ‘normal’ as people make their way back to their places of work and social activities ramp up, following Covid-19 protocol relaxations.

READ MOREUpdated: Durban couple dies after fumigation next door

He added the total incident volumes in the aftermath of Covid-19 increased to the same level recorded prior to the protracted period of Covid-19 lockdown and subsequent social adjustments.

We have, however, noted an indication that the upward trajectory in hijackings that we have tracked through the Covid-19 months may have turned a corner, with the first decrease in the ratio of national hijackings versus thefts recorded since the start of Covid-19.

He said an increase in vehicle usage this year appears to be presenting criminals with greater access and opportunity to exercise tactics, such as keyless access theft to relieve owners of their assets.

Keyless access theft involves a pair or team of criminals, one of whom follows a vehicle owner as they walk away from a locked vehicle, all the while amplifying the transmitted signal from the vehicle’s key fob to a criminal counterpart, who then accesses the vehicle and drives away with it.

According to Tracker, an escalation in reported hijackings is noted between Wednesday and Friday, with late afternoon until early evening showing the highest incidence, between the hours of 4 pm and 8 pm. Reported thefts are most prevalent between 11 am and 3 pm, and theft had escalated.